Tool for cutting bananas from bunches thereof



Nov. 11 1924. 1,514,680

J. STRAUB TOOL FOR CUTTING BANANAS FROM BUNCHES THEREOF Filed Fe 20.1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Nov.

J. STRAUB TOOL FOR CUTTING BANANAS FROM BUNCHES THEREOF Filed Feb. 20,1923 INVEN TOR.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

UITE STATES FATE JOHN STRAUB, 0]? ASHLEY, NORTH DAKOTA.

TOOL FOR CUTTING BANANAS FROM BUNCHES THEREOF.

Application filed February 20, 1923.

cutting bananas from the bunch thereof,

and its object is to provide a device by means by which bananas may besevered, one at a time, from the bunch thereof and deposited in. a sack;to be subsequently wrapped and delivered to a customer without thehandling of the bananas on the part of the salesman, so thatno contamination of the bananas can take place during the interim between hanging upthe bunch of bananas and the delivering of the chosen number to thecustomer.

In accordance with the invention, the bunch of bananas is hung up froman elerated point and is then subjected to a severing blade capable ofoperating upon-a single banana at a time to drop the severed banana in.a bag or sack, collecting the severed bananas until the desired quantitythereof is obtained, after which the bananas enclosed in a sack areremoved from the device and delivered to the customer without thenecessity of handling the bananas by the person selling them.

The instrument comprises a box or en closure having a readily openedside door and a constricted chute into which the individual bananas aredirected to be treated by a severing knife or blade and allowed togravitate into a sack or container.

There is provided in conjunction with the box or receptacle into whichthe individual bananas as severed are directed, a handling or directinghook which the operator may grasp so as to position the bunch of bananaswith the chosen one to be severed in position to drop into the box orreceptaole after being severed and to choose the individual bananas tobe so treated.

The box or receptacle to contain the severed bananas is also arranged tocontain a sack, say a paper sack, into which the severed bananasgravitate, and the box or receptacle is provided with a door which maybe opened when it is desired to remove the chosen number of severedbananas. for delivery to the customer.

Serial No. 620,242.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, with the understandingthat the invention. is not confined to any strict conformity with theshowing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as suchchanges and modifications mark no material departure from the salientfeatures'of'the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation. of the box or containertogether with the manipulating hook forming the complete apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the receiving and containingbox.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section througl'i the box with the manipulatinghandle omitted.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the box complete.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 to ainclusive,there is shown a box 1, which may be of cubical or similar shape andmade of metal or other material, say of sheet metal, to conserve weight.

The box may be elfectively closed on all sides, except that in the frontupper portion, there is formed a partially conical chute 2 to guide thebananas to be gathered into the box and one side 3 of the box isutilized as a door, being provided with hinges 4 on one side and a latch5 on the other side to hold the door closed and facilitate the openingof the door when desired.

The box 1 is supported on the upper end by a pole 6 to elevate the boxto the desired height.

Attached to and projecting from the pole 6" is a bracket 7, comprising apair of arms 7 secured at their inner ends to the pole 6 and merging attheir outer ends and formed to provide the curved extremity 8 droppin toa point just above and in advance of the chute 2.

At the extremity of the curved end 8 of the bracket 7 there is secured aknife blade 9 of substantial length and extending trans- 1 h banana,indicated at 10 in Fig. 1, and by a quick movement of the box cause theseverance of the stem of the banana from the stem provided at one endwith a handle 12 by means of which the cler'k selling the ba nanas mayengage the stem 13 of the bunch of bananas and so ",ITIOVG it in onedirection or the other to present the bananas to the chute"? fordirecting them into 'sald chute and'causing the severance of'theindividual bananas from thebunch thereof at the will of the clerkselling the'bananas'.

In preparing the bunch of bananas for separating the individual bananastherefrom, the bunch is' hung up at a suitable 3 height by meansof'astring 14 and themanipulati-ng hook 11 'is forced into the stem ofthe bunch of bananas near the lower end thereof, so that the bunch ofbananas is: readily manipulated in one-direction or the other, asindicated in Fig. 1. V

The invention is advantageous in eliminating all danger to the personhandling the bananas, in that the fruit,on being severed from the stemor stalk, falls into-a bag or sack which thereby avoids direct handlingof said fruit and thereby also avoids contact with scorpions ortarantulas sometimes found hiding inthebunch of bananas. The

bites of such insects are painful, andsonie times dangerous to thosehandling the bananas and such danger is therefore pre-' vented.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. In a fruitgathering device of the character setforth, a fruit receiving receptacle, supporting means therefor, a chuteintegral with said. receptacle and adapted to selec- I tively engagefruit to be severed and def livered into said receptacle, a bracketcarried by and extending from said supporting means above saidreceptacle, and adepending cutting blade integral with said bracket andsupported above and :coacting with said I chute for severing fruitselected thereby,

said cutting blade extending transversely of :said bracket and directeddownwardly toward-and adjacent ."the forward edge of said chute.

2. A ffruit "gathering device of the character described comprising, afruit receiv ing receptacle, a supporttherefor, achute integral withsaid receptacle and adapted to selectively engage fruit to be severedand delivered into saidreceptacle, 'a 'bracket having twoarms secured tosaid support above the receptacle, said two .arms merging at their endsremote from said support and formed to provide an arched extremity, and

a downwardly directed cutting blade extendingtransversely of said archedextremity adjacent-the forward edge of said chute and coacting therewithto sever selected fruit.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature JOHN STRAUB.

hereto.

